Elk Grove has superb retail, but no sense of community

Tricia Tomiyoshi, editor of the News-Sentinel's Lodi Living section, is an Elk Grove resident. We asked her to reflect on the good and bad of Elk Grove, just named the fastest-growing city in America.

For the past two-and-a-half years, my husband Matthew and I have been Elk Grovians ... Elk Grovers ... er, residents of Elk Grove, the suburban community that is situated about halfway from my job in Lodi and from Matthew's job in Sacramento.

Its location initially drew us there, but we also liked the neighborhood feel, the diversity, the low crime rates and the simple friendliness of strangers at supermarkets. The following are some factors that make living in Elk Grove a joy. I am also listing a few things that aren't so special about Elk Grove.

First, the positive.

1. Great shops. Elk Grove's shops rival anything you'll get in Sacramento — Trader Joe's, Capital Nursery, the Natural Foods Co-op, Best Buy, Borders. If you seek, you'll find it in Elk Grove.

2. Great parks. Our house is within walking distance of some great neighborhood parks with tennis courts, basketball courts, volleyball courts and well-maintained grounds.

3. Two — count 'em two — movie theaters. Between the Century Laguna 16 and the UA Laguna Village, you'll find all the latest releases on the big screen, without having to trek to Sacramento.

4. Our library rocks. Yes, I'm a library nut and Elk Grove boasts the Franklin Community Library, a clean, modern library with a great selection of books, magazines and books on CD (perfect for a commuter like myself).

5. Name a restaurant chain. We've got it. Macaroni Grill, Outback Steakhouse, TGI Friday's, Chevy's, Mimi's Cafe, Marie Callendar's are just a few. These familiar brands the characterize the dining landscape of Elk Grove.

But to keep things fair and balanced, here are a few things I don't like about living in Elk Grove:

1. Name a restaurant chain. We've got it. Unfortunately, that's often to the detriment of independent restaurateurs who want to bring something unique to our community. Fredo's Deli, a charming independently owned breakfast and lunch spot, closed last month and we remain in mourning.

2. The development. Elk Grove is constantly in a state of flux and lots of the large undeveloped lots that looked so pretty when we moved in have become characterless mini-malls.

3. No real sense of community. Third-, and fourth-generation Elk Grove residents must exist, but it feels like so much of the town is made up of transplants, like us, who don't get terribly involved in local issues or politics.

4. The Elk Grove Citizen stinks. And I'm not just saying that because I work here. I don't even pay for the Citizen, but it comes in the mail like clockwork every Friday with front page headlines like "New Toyota dealership opens!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (no exaggeration on the exclamation overdose) and a bunch of ads. There's nothing resembling community journalism there.

5. No elk. C'mon. Were there ever elk? I highly doubt it. It's false advertising. That's all I'm saying.

Contact Lodi Living Editor Tricia Tomiyoshi at triciat@lodinews.com.

First published: Wednesday, June 21, 2006